ENDEIT
Thelonious Monk
Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1917–1982

Thelonious Monk

American jazz pianist and composer (1917–1982)

Born
10 October 1917
Rocky Mount
Died
17 February 1982
Englewood
Country
United States
Active
1944–1973
Record labels
Blue Note, Columbia Records, Prestige, Riverside, Fontana Records
Discography
77 albums

Biography

Thelonious Monk was a jazz musician who played piano. Thelonious Monk was born on 10 October 1917 in Rocky Mount and died on 17 February 1982 in Englewood. The music is usually filed under jazz, bebop and hard bop. Record labels: Blue Note, Columbia Records, Prestige and Riverside. The discography here lists 77 albums, from “Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1” (1951) to “Bremen 1965” (2025). Honours include Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1992), Grammy Hall of Fame (1998) and Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards (2006).

Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". As of 2009, Monk was the second-most-recorded jazz composer in history, after Duke Ellington. Monk's compositions and improvisations feature dissonances and angular melodies, often using flat ninths, flat fifths, unexpected chromatic notes, low bass notes and stride, and fast whole tone runs. His playing style combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations. His distinctive look included suits, hats, and sunglasses.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1 1951
Genius of Modern Music, Volume 2 1952
Thelonious Monk Trio 1953
Piano Solo 1954
Thelonious Monk Plays 1954
Monk 1956
The Unique Thelonious Monk 1956
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington 1956
Brilliant Corners 1957
Mulligan Meets Monk 1957
Thelonious Himself 1957
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk 1958
Thelonious Alone in San Francisco 1959
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane 1961
Criss-Cross 1963
In Italy 1963 · Live
Big Band and Quartet in Concert 1964 · Live
It’s Monk’s Time 1964
Monk. 1964
Misterioso (Recorded on Tour) 1965 · Live
Monk in France 1965 · Live
Solo Monk 1965
Straight, No Chaser 1967
Underground 1968
Monk’s Blues 1969
Something in Blue 1972
Monk in Tokyo 1973 · Live
The Man I Love 1973
Blue Sphere 1980
Epistrophy 1980 · Live
Live at the It Club 1982 · Live
Live at the Jazz Workshop 1982 · Live
Blues Five Spot 1984 · Live
European Tour 1985 · Live
More Genius of Thelonious Monk 1985
Evidence (Paris 1963–1966 Archives INA) 1987 · Live
The Paris Concert 1987 · Live
Blue Monk 1988 · Live
Live in Paris, 1967 1988 · Live
Monk: On Tour in Europe 1988 · Live
The London Collection 1988
Blue Monk 1989 · Live
Hackensack 1989 · Live
Live in Paris, 1964 1989 · Live
Live in Paris, 1964 – Alhambra, Volume 1 1989 · Live
Straight No Chaser 1989
Live at the Village Gate 1990 · Live
Off Minor 1990 · Live
The First European Concert ’61 1991 · Live
Pianology 1994 · Live
Thelonious Monk & Joe Turner in Paris 1995 · Live
In Copenhagen 1996 · Live
1963 in Japan 2000 · Live
At Newport 1963 & 1965 2002 · Live
Olympia, Mar. 6th, 1965, Part 1 2002 · Live
Olympia, Mar. 6th, 1965, Part 2 2002 · Live
Thelonious Monk Live in Paris, Volume 2 2002 · Live
Monk in Paris: Live at the Olympia 2003 · Live
Live at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival 2005 · Live
In Philadelphia 1960 2006 · Live
Live in New York, Vol. 1 2007 · Live
The Transformer 2007 · Live
Thelonious Monk Live in Paris, Volume 1 2007 · Live
Unissued Live at Newport 1958–59 2008 · Live
Unissued in Europe 1971 2008 · Live
The Complete Thelonious Monk at the It Club 2009 · Live
Newport ’59 2013 · Live
Paris 1969 2013 · Live
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 2017
Live in Rotterdam 1967 2017 · Live
Mønk 2018 · Live
Palais des Beaux-Arts 1963 2020 · Live
Palo Alto 2020 · Live
Bremen 1965 2025 · Live
1963-03-05: Odd Fellows Mansion, Copenhagen, Denmark · Live
1969-11-06: Jazztage Berlin, Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany · Live
Monk in Amsterdam · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Thelonious Monk is credited as a sideman

1952 Bird and Diz — Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie piano
1957 Bags’ Groove — Miles Davis piano
1959 Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants — Miles Davis piano
1971 Summit Sessions — Dave Brubeck piano

Standards written by Thelonious Monk

TitleKeyFormGroove
Round Midnight E♭ minor AAB · 33 Ballad
Bemsha Swing C major Medium swing
Ask Me Now D♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Well You Needn't F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Straight No Chaser B♭ major A · 12 Medium-up swing
52nd Street Theme C major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Ruby, My Dear E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Blue Monk B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
In Walked Bud A♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
I Mean You F major AABAA · 38 Medium swing
Rhythm-a-ning B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Let's Cool One E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Nutty B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Skippy A♭ major ABCD · 32 Medium swing
Epistrophy D♭ major ABCB · 32 Medium swing
Reflections A♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Bright Mississippi A♭ major AA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Brilliant Corners B♭ major ABA · 22 Medium swing
Crepuscule With Nellie A♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Evidence E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Hackensack F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Let's Call This G major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Little Rootie Tootie A♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Monk's Dream C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Monk's Mood D♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Pannonica C major AABA · 33 Ballad
Ugly Beauty D♭ major AABA · 32 Jazz waltz
Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Blue Sphere B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Bluehawk B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Blues Five Spot B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Boo Boo's Birthday C major AAB · 21 Medium swing
Bye-Ya A♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Criss Cross G minor AABA · 30 Medium swing
Eronel G major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Four In One E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Friday The 13th G major A · 8 Medium swing
Gallop's Gallop A♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Green Chimneys G♯ minor AABA · 32 Medium swing
Jackie-ing B♭ major Medium swing
Light Blue C major A · 8 Ballad
Misterioso B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Off Minor G minor AABA · 32 Medium swing
Played Twice C major ABC · 16 Medium swing
San Francisco Holiday E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Thelonious B♭ major AABA · 36 Medium swing
Think Of One F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Trinkle Tinkle E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
We See B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing

Awards

Books about Thelonious Monk

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Thelonious Monk play?

Thelonious Monk is known for playing piano.

When and where was Thelonious Monk born?

Thelonious Monk was born 10 October 1917 in Rocky Mount.

What are Thelonious Monk's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1 (1951), Genius of Modern Music, Volume 2 (1952), Thelonious Monk Trio (1953), Piano Solo (1954) and Thelonious Monk Plays (1954).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.